A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing
by NOOO COULSOOON
Summary: The Guardians have a new member, Jack O'Lantern, and after three years a new threat seems to be arising and the mysterious Pied Piper seems to be behind it. Warning for the fact that children die... Yep, Child death. Nothing graphic or anything, but I know I'm a horrible person and there are three OC in here: Jono, the Pied Piper and Spring. Hope you enjoy!
1. The Spirit of Death

**AN:**I had this story going round in my head, so here it is. I created the character of Jono a while ago, you can see his bio on my deviantart account named the same as this account, I was obviously the first to think of this :D this pleases me immensely! Anyway I'm sorry about the death and hope you do like where I'm going so far, this was by far my longest chapter so far and I plan to make this story last.(take time to think it out instead of wandering towards my story's end like I normally do)

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A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter One:

The Spirit of Death

Jono sat watching the moon, he was almost waiting for MIM to talk to him. Jono growled as he knew MIM talked to a Spirit he knew a lot, yet never to the guardians not directly like he did to this spirit. He sighed wondering if he needed to go back to his 'home' or not. He did need to check his spooks weren't causing any mayhem. Being the Spirit of Halloween could be a pain in the arse during the time when his spooks had little to do as they soon grew bored and started to get restless. They either when and terrorized children who were out too late, or started to eat things they shouldn't like furniture or candy.

That and the snow was piling up. Jack Frost was certainly out doing himself this year for Christmas.

Jono stood, his body lanky and his arms and legs seemed a bit too long for his body. His hair the same colour as straw, the ends a mossy colour and his hair was shoulder length. His bright red trench coat was decorated with a black bat on the back. He had his hat on which was a murky green colour with red words around a light green sash around the base of it reading 'All hallows eve' on the front and 'all saint's eve' on the back. His trousers were the same murky green of his hat and his top was a jet black. His boots of dark brown were splattered with mud. He had left his trusty scythe at home along with his mask.

The spirits skin had a yellow tint to it, resembling straw or a material you might use to make a scarecrow, his eye were a deep red. An orange scar running over his right eye gleams in the moon light.

Jono headed for his little hide away. He was greeted by his first spook. Boo who grinned at her master. The little spook was in many ways cute, often failing to scare any children, but it mattered little to Jono. After all Boo was the first spook he ever made. She was priceless in that sense.

Boo was a mini witch of shorts. She had long white hair and big purple eyes. Her skin was unblemished and milky white. She only came up to Jono's knee and she was very bubbly. She loved to follow Jono around and she often tried to be the best behaved out of all the spooks. Boo skipped along side Jono as they entered the cove. The mountain rocks next to the waterfall gave way under Jono's hand to reveal a door of deep dark oak.

Once inside the spooks were surprisingly silent. That's when Jono noticed the figure in the centre of the room. The figure wore a cloak of jet black, torn half way along ruggedly down from the left hand mid point to the right hand corner, this revealed skinny legs wearing brown boots which were muddy and worn. The hood of the cloak was down revealing shaggy dirty blond hair, pulled into a loose ponytail. The Spirit that stood in the centre of the room was definitely a male, as he was singing in a dark, almost deadpan sort of voice, to the Halloween Spirit's minions.

"Ten little children went out to dine, one choked his little self and then there were nine. Nine little children stay up late, one overslept and then there were eight. Eight little children went down to Devon, one said he'd stay there and then there were seven. Seven little children chopping up sticks, one cut himself in half and then there were six. Six little children-" The figure stopped singing as he noticed Jono.

The male Spirit turned he was thin, thinner than Jono, and extremely pale. On his shoulder by his neck a bigger then normal rat lay, it's fur neat and clean unlike it's master's hair. The rats red eyes stared at Jono, and it's white fur brisled. "Good eve, Jack O'Lantern. I was taking a break from my duties, my rats are at the moment taking care of it." The voice is gruff and cold in tone.

Jono nods a greeting to the Spirit. "Pied Piper, long time no see. What brings you here after all I would expect you to go see MIM or go back to your own home." Jono sat down and gestured at the seat opposite his, which Boo pulls out for the Pied Piper. The Piper walks over and sits down with oddly messy grace. Boo goes to the kitchen, pouring her master and their visitor a cup of warm Halloween punch. She came back and handed the cups to them before sitting on the side of the table top.

Both Jono and Boo know why the Piper was there. It was Christmas and Santa was about delivering presents and the last thing the Spirit wanted was to run into a guardian on his rounds. Which may contradict the fact that he was in the Jack O'Lantern's domain. Jack O'Lantern was the new Guardian. MIM had chosen a new Guardian and that had been Jono. Well he was technically now Jack or Jacko but he preferred his old name that and it could be confusing when he was around Jack Frost.

Jono notices how Piper doesn't touch his punch nor answer his questions. So Jono just gave up and studied the other. It's something he'd done to the male many time before knowing his features well also knowing how he likes solitude.

The Pied Piper has four scars that Jono knows of, and he can recall them all by now even the slight different colouring each had. One scar ran across the bridge of Piper's nose, it was a grey in color indicating that the bone was or should be showing. Then one on his left cheek horizontally with a pinky tinge to it. The two others were on his neck, one horizontal over his collarbone to his Adams apple, the other from the underside of his chin to half way down his throat vertically. Both these had a red tint to them.

Jono wonders how the Spirit obtained them. If they were from his past life before he became an immortal or after once he was a Spirit. He doubted he'd ever know. The Piper warmed to no one, not even his brother who coincidentally is also a Spirit. If anything Piper avoids his brother like the plague, not that the Piper would or could avoid a plague. The only thing that tips that avoidance is with any of the Guardians, Jono being the only exception at the moment that he knows of.

Boo swayed her legs over the edge of the table obviously feeling nervous and unsure about what she should do. Jono wondered if it was because of their similarity in age that drew the Pied Piper to him, both the Spirits being twenty, the age before they became an immortal meaning they were more mature than the ones who became Spirits at a younger age but not as stuffy as some of those who were older when they became Spirits.

Then a knock at Jono's door disturbed them. Jono get up and quietly approaches the door, looking through the the peep hole he sees the Sandman floating outside his door with something in his hands. Jono gives a silent prayer that this won't end in disaster. Opening his door. Jono greets the fellow Guardian. "Sandman, what brings you here?"

Sandy however doesn't answer and instead heads straight toward the Piper, who watches him as he does. Sandy extends one of his hands and offers the object in it to the other spirit. The object is a heart shaped locket with writing on the front. It's a silver heart with black gems outlining the surface around the place for words on the front.

"Oh... Thanks, I guess." The Piper mumbles but it's nowhere near as malic full as it normally is. The locket gets stored in one the the Piper's many hidden pockets. Jono would like to ask what it was but knew he'd not get an answer, or if he did it would be a 'mind your own business' kind of answer.

Sandman forms a question mark out of sand above his head, gesturing to the surroundings. Jono guesses the Sandman is asking why the Piper is here. "Christmas is no time to be doing my job." He states and gives Boo his cup of warm punch, standing up and heading for the door.

Jono moves out of the Spirit's way as he leaves, all the Spooks seeming to let out a breath of relief. The Pied Piper was an ominous presents even when in a good mood, if you could call his version of a 'good mood' a good mood that is. His rats didn't help the matter often being scraggy old things missing bits of their ears and tail and chunks of fur. They showed no signs of liking anyone but their master, often hissing and nipping at the other Spirits for coming too close.

Sandman looked almost upset that the other Spirit had seemingly been offended by his actions, but seemed not to dwell on the matter. Instead he came over to Jono and made the shape of a moon over his head and then the shape of a musical pipe followed by a speech bubble, tilted head indicating a question.

"I don't know he didn't say." Jono answers. Jono then frowns. "What was that and why did you bring it back to him?" Jono asks. Sandy then tries to explain, the images that appear above his head one after another are: A locket, a child, and then a pipe playing music notes. Jono shakes his head. "I've got no idea what you mean." The Sandman frowns deep in thought but was interrupted by the northern lights. Norths distress signal. This had never happened before, that on christmas eve North would call all the guardians to his workshop. Then again as Jono notices North could have finished his rounds by now.

Still, something wasn't right. Jono grabs his mask and scythe, pulling the mask on then placing his hat on top of it. Him and Sandy leave for the North Pole, Sandy having constructed a plane for them to travel in. Boo waved them goodbye as they went, knowing something was horribly wrong.

North was stood staring at the globe when everyone seemed to arrive at the same time. He only needs to say one thing. "It's Jamie." Then their on their way to Jamie's house in North's sleigh. North had finished his rounds for the night, and once he got back to the Globe Room had found something wrong.

The ambulance outside Jamie's house only heightens their fears. Jack races ahead of the sleigh getting to Jamie's room first to find a figure in the room. The figure was dressed completely in black. The cape he wore was ruggedly cut from it's left midpoint, down to the bottom right corner. A musical pipe is clutched in one hand brought up to where the figures mouth was playing a sad melody, in the other hand was a heart shaped silver locket with black gems.

"Who are you and where's Jamie?" Jack asks cautiously. The figure doesn't grace him with an answer as he finished his ghostly song and turns leaving through the window. Jack too startled by the sudden departure of the person, could not stop him, almost as if they couldn't see him. Was he human? "Wait!" Jack yells.

The figure is however stopped by the rest of the Guardians. North looked the most angry that Jack had ever seen him. The words that left his lips with laced with hate and anger. "Pied Piper." He grounds. Jono already knew it was him as soon as North said that something was wrong with Jamie. He tried not to show his conflicting feelings about what was most likely to unfold.

"Ah, the Guardians. I must say I'm not pleased to see you. Why can't you cut me some slack? I have a job and so do you. MIM gave me this job so you shouldn't get in my way." The Piper growls. He pulls the hood down to show his eyes glowing a vivid red, this confuses Jono as he knew the Spirits eyes are normally a vivid grey not red.

"Why should we let a child killer like you get away?!" Bunnymund sneers at the Spirit, his stance low to the ground, ready to pounce the Spirit if needed. "We remember Hamelin, and don't act like you don't remember it too. You DROWNED all those children! Not to mention the children that died the year before. You must have been responsible for that too. Black death or not, you did it!" Bunnymund accuses.

"What?" Jack murmurs. obviously coming to realized what must have happened to Jamie. "No... Not Jamie... Why?" Jack fought not to start crying, his question directed at the Spirit.

The very question and the fact it was directed at him caused the Spirit to become more angry. "You are all the same. Always see the good. You see black and white. No between. Everyone has a place in this world. I don't kill, I safeguard the souls of dead children. I am the 'Spirit of Death', my very job is to make sure that a child remains in the hearts of those close to them." The Piper grumbles.

Toothiana sounds deflated when she speaks. "You job is take away what we protect, of cause we need to interfere. You allied yourself with Pitch, therefore you are our enemy." She, then looks to Jono, almost as if she knows Jono is more on the Piper's side than theirs. Jack seems conflicted also, almost as if he understands, more so when Sophie comes running over to Bunnymund, running straight through the Piper in the process.

"Bunny!" Sophie is crying and obviously upset, The Piper brings his pipe to his lips and plays a few simple notes, Sophie immediately is calmer and almost sleepy. Bunnymund glares at him, Sophie looking in the direction of him, but is confused as to why Bunny is glaring at thin air.

The Piper shakes his head, looking over at Jono, Jack and Sandy, all who have not shown any particular macil towards him, yet. "Well, what do you lot have to say? All angry at me for my job? Think I get a kick out of it?" The Piper bites out and when he's met with silence he continues. "They are just envious because MIM talks to me, he actually talks, not just some one-sided convocation. Not that it matters, he doesn't like me. Why else would he give me this job?! Well? Are you going to say something or stand there like a bunch of idiots? I've heard it all, from those three mainly, I'm deranged, I'm a monster, you name it I've heard it."

"You're misunderstood." A quiet voice comes from behind the Piper. Everyone was shocked.

"Wha-" The Piper turns to find himself facing the young Sophie. She was looking at him, actually looking at him. She could see him. "What?" He repeated the word he failed to finish the first time around. He knelt down his face still far away from Sophie's but closer than before.

"You're misunderstood?" Sophie asks as if she's not sure if he meant for her to repeat the answer to his question or not. She seems to not be scared of him. The Piper had never had children see him, not that is until he comes to collect the ones that are barely living, or if he goes to a hospital where a child has died. They see him as the grim reaper. The person that kills them and takes their souls away.

"How... How can you see me?" The Piper asks confused. For 5,980 years he had only ever been seen by dying, scared children. Why now should a child who was alive and perfectly healthy see him?

"Rat." Sophie said, pointing over to a giant rat behind Bunnymund, It was a scruffy old brown thing with one half of it's right ear missing and a lump of fur from it's hind leg. It's black eyes gleam in the limited moon light. Around one of it's front legs, lockets dangle, the heart locket. Children's souls. That when Jono understands what the Sandman had tried to tell him earlier.

Piper sighs. He doesn't want this child to believe in him. He had taken her brother away. How could anyone believe someone that does that is misunderstood. "You shouldn't see me, I not like the Guardians, I don't need nor want children to believe in me." The Piper's words are icy and meant to hurt. Not that it registered to Sophie.

The Piper stands straight and looks at the rat. "Are you done for tonight?" He asks. The rat scurries forward and raises it's big head. It's thick tail swishing along the grass softly as it chittered to it's master. Once it finished the Pied Piper nodded. He glanced towards the three Spirits he had addressed before Sophie spoke up. "Anything to add? No? Good. I don't need you." Piper spits out and with that he was gone.

"Where'd he go!?" Bunny growled.

"You know where he went. Back to his 'home', a dark and dingy place." North snorted. He looked at Sandy. "What is wrong Sandy?" He asks.

Sandy looks forlorn, but he shakes his head and leaves for the clouds, his home. He needed to think and rest, after that he would be ok, he knew he would. He hoped.

Toothiana sighed. "We're all sad, we all need time and space. Poor little Jamie." She leaves herself after that, to mourn in the comfort of her own palace. Bunnymund takes Sophie back to her room, leaving with North after, Jack and Jono were still there at that point.

"What do you think?" Jack asks Jono. And Jono knows he means about the whole Piper being the taker of children's souls and him taking Jamie's. Jono gives himself sometime as he takes off the mask, well pumpkin really but it did have eye, nose and mouth holes so it was like a mask, he had put on before leaving with Sandy for Norths workshop.

Jono places the pumpkin on the floor, leaning his scythe against a tree, Jack doesn't leave like he hoped he might, Jack stays and waits. Jono finally gives in. "Sophie's right." He feels his throat go dry, half expecting for a blast of ice to hit him. Instead Jack just watches the house from afar.

Jono is about to leave when Jack says. "I think so too." Jono looks at Jack surprised by this revelation. "There's somethings not right about all this." He adds.

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**AN:** The song is a version of the ten little Solider boys/sailor boys it has many versions, some of the original versions were both racist and very morbid for a child's nursery rhyme yet that's what it was. :-/

Anyway I'm sorry in advance for killing Jamie! I didn't want to but... Who else would matter as much to the Guardians? I mean I know all children matter, but Jamie's gonna hit em hard... I'm gonna go curl up in the corner and cry myself to sleep know.

P.S. How do you like the Pied Piper? The tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was actually a retelling of children killed during a plague and the Pied Piper represented the Grim Reaper in a sense. Therefore it makes sense for him to be the Spirit of Death. Also it was a story to warn children from pedophiles, but you know I'm not that dark yet... Honest.(if you can't tell the Pied Piper is the Spirit referred to right at the start about MIM talking directly to him)


	2. Brothers from two Seasons

**AN:** Ok so second chapter up and thanks Cat Lunanoff for your review(It makes me happy you see that he's misunderstood too and also you have a grate name). Anyway, I'm using elements from the books so people who haven't read the books please don't complain about not knowing who someone who's only in the books is, you can look it up and I'll probably end up explaining who they are anyway.(Which could be considered spoilers for the books I guess...) Any way hope you enjoy this chapter too.

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A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Two:

Brothers of different seasons

Spring time comes early this year. The Piper wasn't seen by any of the Guardians since the incident with Jamie's death. Jack learnt from the convictions he over heard the adults talking about that it was because of an illness. Jack remembered Jamie complaining that he didn't feel very well the last time he saw the boy. That was about a week before he died.

Sophie always asked to see the 'music man' but when Bunny was around he always told her no. Sophie however confided in Jack telling him that she had seen the Pied Piper a few times since. It had always been during the day and the Piper was always in a bright mismatching cloak.

It seemed that the Spirit wore two cloaks or the one cloak changed colour. Most likely why in the myth, or fairy tale which ever you classed it, he was depicted as wearing bright clothing. Jack normally never stayed around during spring anymore, well for the last three years he hadn't.

He mainly was staying to try to find the Piper's brother that Jono had told him about. Of course it wasn't hard to spot the Spirit. The Spirit was younger when he became immortal, younger than Jack was anyway. He had short earthy brown hair and a flower crown half-submerged into the hair. His cloths were tatty and simple, also decorated with an arrangement of flowers. The spring Spirit wore wooden saddles on his feet, he wore short of a grey colour and his top was white and loose on his frame, obviously made for him to grow into but of course that will never happen now.

Jack doesn't approach him straight away, letting the Spirit attend it's duties first. The Spirit once done approaches Jack in a carefree manner. "Hello! You must be Jack Frost. Nice to meet you, I'm Spring or Orland depending on which you prefer to call me. I don't mind. What brings you to my season?" Orland chirps happily.

"Well... you are a lot different from your brother that's for sure." Jack frowns wondering how they could be brothers it must have annoyed them both being so different then again the age difference between them would account for that.

"Oh. You're here because of Pyper? That's his name by the way, but its spelt with a 'y' instead of an 'i'." Orland then added. "Well his name was originally, um... I don't remember they changed his name when he was five so it's hard to remember what it was before." Orland scratches the back of his head nervously, it was easy to see he was annoyed he couldn't remember his own brother's birth name.

Jack tilted his head, confused by the meaning behind Orland's words. "Your parents changed your names?" Orland laughed, a light bubbly sound that made the boy seem even younger. Orland finished his giggling fit clearing his throat as he went to answer.

"No, silly, only Pyper had his name change. It was because he was good at playing the musical pipe." Orland sat beside Jack on Sophie's window cill. Neither spoke for a while simply watching the changes of the season start to take effect. A butterfly fluttered past the two and they both watched it go for a few moments.

"I heard about Jamie... I'm sorry." Orland looked down to where Sophie sat in the garden, their dog, Abby, lay at her feet. Both missing Jamie, Jack knew the feeling, all the Guardians did. "Pyper didn't mean it personally. He may seem like a bad guy, but he's had it tough. I mean I always used to give him a tough time back before we were immortal."

Jack doesn't speak deciding to let Orland talk. After all there was little for him to say. Jack knew he couldn't hate Pyper, after all as he said they all had their jobs, but it was hard. Not having anything to truly blame it on. Jack looked at Sophie who then stood up and ran over to one end of the garden. There stood the Pied Piper in bright colours. Sophie was talking to him, but neither could hear what it was about.

"He's not bad at all. We were always so different. He was talented, I wasn't. My parents, I thought, loved him more. After all he helped bring our family money from a very young age. I didn't. They best thing I could do was to make flower crowns and chains to sell for next to nothing. He would play music, people would dance and sing." Orland smiled at his brother, who had noticed them from a far and was staying away from them.

"The age difference didn't help I bet." Jack hummed, deep in thought trying to guess the age difference between the two, it must have been quite a bit. Orland looked to be in his early teens while Pyper was about 20, if Jack remembers correctly. Maybe there was a 7 years difference at least between the two. Orland giggles again, Jack wonders if it's something he said.

"We're not that different in age, or at least we weren't." Orland sighs. "I was born two years before Pyper was. I was thirteen before I became an immortal. Me, mum and dad were killed by the Shadows many, many years ago on a planet much like this. We are some of the older spirits in comparison to others. Especially like yourself. We were a travelling family that got money by entertainment means, but I was not very good at entertaining people."

The Pied Piper is sat with Sophie beside him one way and Abbey the other side. He seems to be telling a story, using gestures and seeming to whistle from time to time, Sophie looks entranced by the tale. "He was also a good story-teller." Orland chuckles as they watch the interaction between the Spirit and the girl.

"I was a horrible big brother, I never looked out for him, nor helped him with chores, but he never told our parents and often let himself get the blame for something I did or let me get the praise for something he did. I just never saw it until much later." Orland looks sad, like he almost hateful of his old self. "Pyper was eleven when he had to grow up by that standard for our type of family it was too young. My brother died drowning in a well. The Shadows caught up to him. He didn't put up much of a fight. I don't think he had much left in him."

"Our planet was swallowed by the darkness when Pitch appeared. He used to be good you know. That was when Tsar Lunar's parents were the head of the Lunanoff family house. Tsar Lunar XI and his wife Tsarina Lunar. Me and Pyper with a few other mortal and immortals escaped the planet's destruction. Me and him were chosen by Tsar and Tsarina to accompany them and other to this planet." Orland looks sadly up at the sky.

"Tsar and Tsarina never made it to this planet, only four of us did. MIM, Me, Pyper and Nightlight. Pitch attacked the ship we were on and separated us. I'm sure that Tsar and Tsarina are still out there, but far, far away. Nightlight, me and my brother came down to earth either at the very start of the dark ages or a little before." Orland paused in thought. "Must have been a little before as Pitch had yet to arrive. Nightlight then sealed Pitch away, sealing himself inside Pitch in the process."

Orland stands, kicking a bit of snow of the roof, the snow around him melting away as he walked. "I always loved Spring, the season of life. While Pyper always loved Fall, the season of death. The Earth starts to die, the leaves fall from the trees and everything fades to a dull colour. Well that was my opinion, Winter was the season that started to revive the Earth, reading it for Spring." Orland swings his arms from side to side as he walks back towards Jack. "Our planet had the same seasons as this one. Sometimes I forget that this isn't our true home. I doubt Pyper ever forget though. He saw more of the destruction than I did."

"So, he had it very tough, you all had it tough. Did MIM's relatives make you Spirits then?" Jack leans his head against his staff. He was surprised that the Pied Piper was daring to be around while his, technically older, brother was. He must be avoiding the three main Guardians he seems to be on bad terms with. That or he really did want Sophie to believe in him, despite what he said back on Christmas eve.

"Yeah." Orland looks down. "I wish I had been a better big brother while I had the chance. After all now Pyper never wants to see me. The one time we did meet we didn't have anything to talk about."

Orland watches absent mindedly as Sophie hugs Pyper, who goes rigid at the touch of the child. After Sophie stopped he patted her on the head and headed out of the garden towards Jack's pound.

"I'm sure he doesn't blame you." Jack mainly says this because he doesn't know what else to say, that and Jack had a feeling that Pyper was the kind to blame himself over other people. Orland nods. Jack didn't realize that MIM had come from a different planet. He guessed there was a lot of things he had yet to find out. "How long have you been Spirits roughly?"

"Hm, must be 4,000 years, nearly 5,000 probably, one loses count." Orland says. He waves to some children running in the street, who wave in turn. "I, you see am visible to the children, not all children, but enough to make me rarely have someone walk through me. I have no reason to count the years. Especially as it was the same on our home planet. Unfortunately it was the same for Pyper, no child saw him. Not unless they were dying or some such."

Jack felt sorry for Pyper. Either way it makes Jack's 300 years of not being believed in a walk in the park. "Guess the children aren't happy to see him then." Jack waves to Sophie and the five year old waves back.

"Not if he's giving them back their soul I bet." A husky voice states from beside Jack, who turns to bash his head against Jono's. "Hey, watch it!" Jono yelps as Jack reels backwards and falls from the roof, letting out an effeminate scream as he does.

"Ow, ow, ow." Jack groans as he picks himself up off the grass. "It was your fault! You shouldn't creep about and scare people half to death!" Jack objects. Which earns him a blank stare, obviously saying 'I'm the Spirit of Halloween I'm supposed to scare people'. "Shut up." Jack grumbles.

"I didn't say anything! Anyway, Jamie's not dead, you do realize that right?" Jono, rest his head in one of his hands, his long bony fingers splaying over his face. Jack frowns at Jono and before he can say anything Jono continues. "Jamie's in a coma, I believe they call it. He's on life support, Pyper's job, as he said is to safeguard, therefore if a child goes into a coma, it's body can no longer handle it's soul. This means that Pyper has to take it and keep it safe until the child can accept it's soul back." Jono explains.

"How did you find that out?" Jack asks. Jono stretches his long limbs out and makes Jack wait for his answer as he often does, a habit he had developed since he was young, he often had to think his answers out carefully. Even though he no longer needed to, he still did.

"I asked the children what happened to Jamie and they told me. Then I asked Pyper. I was surprised he answered me. Anyway as long as Jamie's mum doesn't let the doctors pull the plug before Pyper can give Jamie his soul back then Jamie will be fine." Jono lays down on the roof, letting the spring sun warm him. "We should tell the other, if they believe us that is."

"The Sandman will believe you. He and my brother seem to have a relationship of mutual trust and respect. The Sandman doesn't judge my brother, my brother doesn't cause the Sandman trouble." Orland said before he nods and jumps into the air, the Spring breeze carried him to the next roof as little Spring fae gather around the Spirit. Spring fae are very different to any other fae.

The closest you'll get is the Tooth Fairies. Yet the Spring fae hate to be called fairies. They are not the Spring Spirits minions, Spring doesn't have enough control or power to have the fae as his minions like Jono, North, Tooth. Jack could almost say his minion was the wind, it had helped him often enough. Sandy didn't need any after all his dream sand was a minion in itself.

Jono had his eyes closed when Jack finally made it back up to the roof. He sat cross-legged next to Jono pouting at the Spirit. "How old were you when you became a Spirit. Also how long has it been since you became a Spirit?" Jack asks, deciding it was time he found out more about Jono.

Jono hums as he calculates the years since he became the Jack O'Lantern. Must have been... About 400 years ago. I was 20. Why?" Jono yawns stretching his arms out before curling onto his side, content to let the warmth soak through into his body, Jack wasn't quite so content.

"Just. 4,000 to 5,000 years of not being believed in makes my 300 years seem so much shorter." Jack watches as Jamie's mum take Sophie inside, it was probably time for lunch. Jack stood then, kicking Jono, causing the male to roll over and nearly fall, but Jono managed to grip onto the side of the roof. "Come on we gotta tell the Guardians that Jamie's going to be ok."

Jack jumps and rushes off towards the north. Heading to North's workshop. Jono shakes his head snorting. "He might be alright." Jono corrects the winter Spirit too late to be heard. Jono decides his best bet is to wait until night, Jono had never been a fan of either Tooth or Bunnymund. Tooth was just too persistent about Jono cleaning his teeth more. Bunnymund, well he was just too willing to jump to conclusions for Jono's liking.

So Jono settled back down knowing sooner or later the Guardian of dreams would show himself. Jono frowned he couldn't help but think about what lead him to being a Spirit. His Sister spooked the herd of cattle that the family had with the new dog she'd been given for her birthday. Jono had been with his younger brother and older brother. His older brother had gotten away and Jono had managed to push his younger out of the way, allowing himself to be trampled instead.

Jono sighed, he'd always had believes of some kind. He'd never been walked through much like the other guardians hadn't, except Jack of course. He wondered what it was like. Did it hurt or was it just a feeling of emptiness? Jono didn't know if he ever wanted to find out. He had to question how Pyper had put up with it.

Jack arrived at North's workshop not too long after he departed from Jono. He was greeted by Phil who was carrying a bag of toys to the testing room. Jack threw a quick greeting over his shoulder and hurried along to find North. North was in the Globe room, yelling orders to his Yetis. He however stopped when he saw Jack. "Jack, what brings you here?" North called cheerfully.

"I need to talk, I want to know about a few things, that and I've got some good news!" Jack was practically jumping on the spot in excitement. North pointed to his office and nodded, telling his Yetis what to do while he was talking to Jack and followed Jack into the room.

"Now, what excites you?" North asked. Jack was the happiest he'd seen the boy since Christmas Eve. He had almost fallen into a depression after what happened.

"Jamie's alive!" Jack nearly squealed. "Jono found out from some of the children. He's in hospital. Apparently he's in a coma." Jack was bouncing on the ball of his feet, unable to stand still for too long.

"What?!" North voice was full of doubt, after all the Pied Piper had been there, taking Jamie's soul. "How?" North sits in one of his chairs by the fire, he was always interested in how the Spirit of Death worked. After all if, as the Piper always claimed he safeguarded souls that meant he didn't just make them pass on to what was beyond death.

"Well, Jono asked the Piper, and he says that if Jamie's mum doesn't stop Jamie's life support then he'll be able to give Jamie his soul back, but he has to wait until Jamie's ready or something like that." Jack explained as he joined North siting in the chair opposite him.

North looked deep in thought his brows knitted together. He had never known what to make of the Pied Piper, he did dislike the Spirit after all it felt like he took away the thing they were chosen to protect, children. However unlike Tooth and Bunnymund, both of who had much stronger feelings towards the Spirit, North never could truly hate the Spirit, not after the event anyway. North, if around when the Piper does his job, was anger than he ever normally was, but after when he has time to cool down and think about what he said or did, he always feels sad. He knows to judge the Spirit for the very thing MIM chose him to do was wrong. Unlike Pitch who MIM didn't choose.

"I see. What was it you wanted to know?" North asks taking a cookie when a Elf offers it, Jack doing the same, but freezing the Elf as it scurries across the floor, causing it to glide along the wooden surface with ease.

"What happened in Hamelin?" Jack asks quietly as he takes a bite from his cookie. He's not sure if North will be willing to tell him. It could be considered none of Jack's business, as he wasn't a Spirit at the time from what Jack can tell. North exhales a breath deeply. Jack starts to think he's not going to get an answer as the silence drags on deafeningly so.

Then North speaks.

"It was in 1278, in the town of Hamelin, Germany..."

* * *

**AN:** So I worked out a date as if the movie was set in 2012(because it came out then), and the date this stories taking place in 2015(three years later) and the town of Hamelin held the 725th anniversary of the children going missing in 2009, so I took 725 from 2009 and then an extra 6 to get to a date.(Yes I'm proud of myself!)

That and I've often noticed that North's Workshop is mistakenly called Santoff Claussen, which is a different place(In the books anyway) so if anyone is wondering why I don't call it that, you now know.

Some of the event are half true to the book (MIM's origins with his parents and Pitch are true, the planet that destroyed isn't so much)


	3. The Bought Broke and Children Drowned

**AN: **I was planning to upload this on Sunday, but my internet went down for no reasons, anyway I'm planning to not start the next chapter for a week or two(I'll probably end up doing it sooner anyway) as I need to update some of my other stories while I have a chance. This is the story of why Bunnymund, Tooth and North are at odds with the Pied Piper, and why Sandy and him have respect for each other. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Three:

The bought broke and the children drowned

Hamelin, 1278.

North, Bunnymund, Toothania and Sandy had only just become the Guardians, MIM called them all together to form a team to work together against Pitch. The Guardian's had been planning an attack on Pitch, but they then noticed that their was a lot of lost faith in the children of Hamelin.

North climbed into his sleigh of the time, it was an old worn sleigh. Nothing like the beautiful and powerful thing it would become. His reindeers reared up before rushing though the runway, which at the time was much more simpler and not entirely finished. Yetis dived out of the way as he came, they having been trying to finish off the runway.

Tooth and a few of her fairies were joining him in the sleigh. Sandy was traveling in his dream sand plane, while Bunny took his tunnels. Bunny was the first to arrive, then Santa and Tooth second, followed closely by Sandy.

Once in the town, they didn't see one single child. All adults, who looked lost and extremely upset, they of course couldn't see the Guardian's, but they were able to overhear that the children had been taken along with all the rats, bar one child who was deaf.

The Guardians decided to spread out and search for the children. Bunnymund headed towards the nearby forest, while tooth searched around town, North headed in the direction of the neighboring town, while Sandy took to the sky, in the direction of the river Weser.

The river Weser water was churning, it's water dark and murky. A lone figure stood, he was draped in a torn cloak of black cloth and held a musical pipe in his hands, to his mouth. Sandy spotted the person straight away, and with caution he lowered himself until he was standing beside the person.

It was a male, he had ratty blond hair and two scars visible on his face, he also had red vivid eyes that stood out under the darkness that his hood castes over his face. His eyes briefly traveled to the golden Guardian, but his tune didn't falter, nor did he seem to dwell on the presence beside him.

Sandy forms a question mark in sand above his head. The figure stops and turns to Sandy, he looks cold and annoyed at Sandy's presence. "Sandman, been a while." The figure smiles briefly as if remembering a fond memory, before it turns into same cold and annoyed look. He however doesn't offer an answer as to his actions, or an explanation as to what he meant by his comment. Sandy frowned trying to place the male, perhaps it was from before the person was a Spirit, but he seems a bit too old.

Sandy then spotted a child on the bank of the river, the body unmoving and soaking wet. He focused his gaze on the water and to his horror he saw lots of little body floating in the river's icy depths. He sent out the alert by his sand. The other three were there soon after they received it.

"What is wrong, mate?" Bunnymund asks hopping out of his tunnel. standing up straight and his ears pricked up, twitching slightly as he studied the river's water. Toothania also stared in disbelief, she had personally collected the teeth of these children since the children's birth, her and her faeries had, but would never do again, not for these children.

Santa had taken one look at the river and turned to the departing Spirit. "Who are you and why the children?" North watched as the Spirit stopped and slowly turned, his torn cloak shifting around his tall frame. A rat scurried under him and then climbed up his leg, up his body and onto his shoulder. It was a white rat, larger than most normal rats, it almost looks like an owl on the Spirits shoulder when it stands on its hind legs.

The Spirit snorted. "My name is of no importance, nor is why I do what I do. I do not have to answer to the likes of you." He states dryly. "If you wish to know who I am, why not ask the moon? I was confined to my role, so he knows me well." The Spirit looked to MIM in the sky, he was shining bright tonight.

Tooth, Bunny and North share a look, then turned to MIM as well. Sandy however doesn't instead he studied the Spirit, Sandy could tell the Spirit was much older than his age let on, older possibly than all the Guardians ages put together, which may not be very much but in terms of most the Spirit community it was. He must have been apart of the original stars and planets that MIM and Pitch had traveled from to get to Earth.

"Wait, sorry, I remember now. MIM doesn't talk to you." The Spirit walks along the path towards the Guardians. He kicked a stone into the swirling water, and it was swallowed up by them, just like the children were.

"What are you saying of course MIM talks to us, he appointed us as Guardians!" Toothania cried out, she felt so upset and angered by the Spirits actions and words that she was nearly reduced to tears.

The Spirit gave a short, sharp snort of laughter. "You call him shining down on that little crystal and showing you images talking?" He raised his hand and stroked the rat on his shoulder, it chattered happily at the Spirit, fondly rubbing its head around his fingers.

"And, what he talks to you? You're too smug for your own good, mate." Bunnymund growled. The Spirits' red eyes narrowed as he glared at Bunnymund. "Well, music boy what you got to say to that?"

"Yes. He does, Kangaroo, what you going to do about it?" He sneered. Bunny's ears flattened to his skull and he made a growl like noise, unhappy by the name calling.

"I'm a bunny! The Easter Bunny." He took a step threateningly towards the other, not that the Spirit found the action threatening in the least. In fact he found it foolish and pointless. "I'm someone who brings hope and is believed in, I've never seen you before, so listen here pip squeak, you don't want to get on my bad side."

"Actually you're a Pooka." The Spirit vanished into the thin air, the Guardians scanning the area carefully. Bunnymund yelped as he's yanked down to the ground by his ears. "The last Pooka, isn't it?" The dark and icy voice hissed into his ear. The Spirit stood over Bunny his face close to the Pookas ears that he had tightly grasped into one of his hands.

The other was much better at being threatening than Bunny, Sandman decided.

He lets go of the Pookas ear and vanishes again as Bunny throws a boomerang and North swings his swords at the Spirit. A chilling song vibrates the cold night air, causing all but the Sandman to freeze in place unable to move.

"Now that they are no longer able to be rude or interrupt, I believe you have some question, Sandman?" The Spirit, sits on a post, his legs crossed and the rat on his shoulder scurried into his lap.

Sandy nods, forming an image of musical pipes and a question mark. Sandy's worried that The other won't understand him.

"My name is the Pied Piper, and I use my music to hypnotize people, as I've done to your annoying allies." The Piper fiddles with the ribbon keeping the pipe around his neck in place. "I don't see why Tsar Lunar decided to make those uptight idiots have the power they do. You seem much more capable without them."

Sandy was surprised by how the Piper seemed to admire him. But didn't question it, instead forming the moon and then a question mark.

"Tsar Lunar XII, if he was head of the Luminoff household, yet without his parents Tsar Lunar XI and Tsarina Lunar don't hand the title down to him, then he'll probably never be." The Pied Piper mused softly. "He and I have a... Unique bond, one only shared by one other person towards him. Tsar Lunar talks to me directly and from time to time face to face."

Sandy tilts his head. Producing a birthday cake and calendar, then he trails off, trying to think about how he could say what he wants to ask, but the Piper smiles, and answers before the Sandman can finish the question.

"I've been a Spirit for 5,249 years and counting, I don't originate from this Earth, I came from a star in the distance that is was engulfed by the Darkness, years ago. I've resided in this town ever since really, gone about a bit with my work but I happily return to this town. It reminds me of my home." He spoke almost fondly of the town. "Don't ask why I did what I did, I doubt you'll understand it yet, you will one day."

Sandman frowns and the forms his sand in a long line, a sentence in pictures. The Piper studied the pictures from where he sat. The pictures were in lovely detail and were as followed: a music pipe, a shield, a map of germany where the area of Hamelin was absent, then an outline of Pitch, a question mark at the end, implying it was a question, not a statement.

"Hm, I guess you could say I failed to do that. Me and Pitch I guess have a natural bond... Fear and death go hand in hand after all." The Piper answers. "I don't intend to be a cause for the supposed Nightmare King power, yet I am. You could almost say I'm an ally of the power hungry 'King'."

Sandy stops to contemplate what the Piper meant when all of a sudden he was gone and the other three Guardians were free from their captivity. "Bloody musician blowing his own trumpet!" Bunny exclaimed as he scratched behind one of his ears with a hind leg. "He kills the kids of the town he supposedly likes, has allied himself with Pitch and attacked us." Bunny grumbled, his ears twitching rapidly.

"Now, Bunny, he hardy attacked us. We mustn't leap before look." North put his swords away and looked to the river. "But, is suspicious." North walked to the bank and obviously was trying to find a reason as to why this happened.

"He, did say death and fear go well together, right?" Tooth piped up. "Then surely he's a Spirit that causes death. He also said we could call him an ally of Pitch." Her fairies were buzzing about uncertainly. Sandman stays behind as the others decide they need to leave and try to deal with the feelings welling up inside.

* * *

"We jumped before we looked." North tells Jack, who had listened to every word with attentive ears. "I never really wanted to believe it were true, but if it weren't then no one would be blamed, and harder to understand, to move on." North watches as Jack seemed to turn this information over in his head.

"So... You don't know if he killed those children at all?" Jack crouched more than sat in his chair, the cup of hot chocolate long forgotten and frozen in its mug. North shakes his head, they didn't know as they weren't there and they never tried to find out from the Piper himself. "So, if I was to try to find him, he'd be in Hamelin?" Jack asked, North looked almost sad at the question.

"No." North sighs heavily. "Bunny, didn't like him being there. They fought and Bunny won, I believe the Piper said somethings Bunny wouldn't forgive or forget." North saw the look of curiosity on Jack's face and knew he needed to continue. "He made a comment about the Pookas, after the one in Hamelin Bunny sort out the Spirit and he made another, being near extinct. I not know the comment, Bunny never said. Bunny made him leave Hamelin, I doubt he's been there for over 400 years."

Jack groaned and flopped back in his chair the mug fell from his hands but an elf managed to catch it. "Man, Bunny needs to cool his jets, he'll never make friends with his attitude." North chuckled at the comment and Jack smiled, he wasn't used to North being overly serious or sad. "So, do you know where I could find him?"

"Jono, may know, but I doubt. Sandy on other hand, he knows." North stood and walked over to a shelf where there was a Russian doll, not a finished one. "I started to make doll of Piper. Find his center. Never finished it." North tossed the doll to Jack, who caught it with ease. Opening the outer doll, which was painted with the Pyper being shrouded in darkness and with spirits or ghosts and rats around him. Death and fear.

The layer under that had the Piper in silvers and blues, a stare on its face that would freeze over hell. Showing that he was cold and distant. The next layer was half done, but Jack could tell from its face that it was lonely. He hadn't been truly believed in for so many years that he was lonely even if he no longer could feel it himself. The two left were not touched in the slightest. "How do you know he's lonely?" Jack asks and he runs his fingers over the half-finished part of the doll, his fingers feeling the difference between the shiny, smooth paint and hardwood.

"He not believed in. He goes to see Sophie often, no?" North replies, but doesn't wait for an answer. "He must be lonely, even if he doesn't see it himself." Jack nods to this remembering his own feelings of loneliness, but cannot imagine them for so many years more than he felt it.

Jack might need to ask Sandy where to find the Spirit.

* * *

Sandy smiled at the familiar presence during his work. He nodded his greetings as they walked over to him, sitting down next to him on his cloud of dream sand.

"Clear night." The dark voice grumbled. "Would be lovely in Hamelin tonight." The voice says wistfully. Sandy frowned, knowing that the other was pining for his once chosen home. He wondered if Bunny still kept the other out of Hamelin, or if he just never tried to return.

Sandy doesn't ask, he simply shows the Piper a handful of dream sand and the Piper gives the Guardian of dreams a fleeting smile. The Sandman allows the sand to filter through his fingers and onto the top of the Piper's head. The Piper yawns and allows his eyes to close he nearly falls off the cloud, Sandy quickly forms a wall of soft sand, so the Piper is slowly lowered into a laying position.

Sandy watches as the sleeping Spirit curl in on himself and the dream forms above his head. Children playing about, then the sand turns from golden to black as water rushes over the children and they disappear. Sandy frowns angered by the sands disobedience and changing on its own, Pitch had started it, but Sandy's own sand from time to time also turned into black sand and it was frustrating. Not much of the sand changed, just a little, but it was the little that stood out.

The Piper pulls himself into a fetal position and whimpers as the nightmare continues. There's the three other Guardians and they attack what appears to be an image of the Piper. The Spirits face portrays hurt and fear.

Sandy reaches out and forces the sand to go back to its golden colour and take a different form. The Sand shows that of two children and their parents traveling around and entertaining people. The Piper's lips twitch up into a smile and he uncurled slightly from his fetal position. Sandy returns to focusing on making the children's dreams and he thinks back to Hamelin 1278, when he realized who the Piper was.

Sandy noticed the look of loneliness masked by the cold and anger mask he wore.

How long had this Spirit frequented Earth and gone unnoticed by both other Spirits and Children? Then it struck the Sandman about how the other knew him. He had come across a person dozing in the wooded area near the town of Hamelin a few years ago, it was night and the person seemed to not have a home to go to, seeing as he was sleeping in the woods.

Sandy, despite mainly providing dreams to children, could and often did do it for adults too. On this occasion he had decided to give the person a lovely dream, it was a dream of a family, two children and their parents traveling and seemingly enjoying their life. Sandy had smiled at the dream and was about to move on when the person managed to open one eye sleepily. They were still half asleep but conscious enough to be able to tell their surroundings.

Sandman had expected the person to simple fall back to sleep, instead they smiled slightly and murmured a near silent 'thank you' into the night. Sandman had though perhaps the adult was somehow still innocent enough to believe in the Spirits, but now he realized that it hadn't been a person at all, but a Spirit. This Spirit.

* * *

Jono spotted Sandy just outside of Budapest. And headed in his direction, deciding he was the most likely to give the most useful information. Once he was within the Sandman's vision he was about to call out, but Sandy simple moved a finger to cover his mouth, telling Jono to stay silent.

Jono gave Sandy a confused look before he clambered up to the roof of the house Sandy had chosen to situate himself over. Once on the roof he could see why he was asked to be quiet. The sleeping figure next to the Guardian didn't move as Jono approached, but when Jono accidentally moved a loose slate underfoot, he did. Jono crept over to Sandy and decided it was best to simply watch the other work, it never lacked entertainment and he wouldn't mind a few dreams from his past.

Sandy smiled and allowed Jono to dream about his life before, Jono sprawled out of the roof, seemingly comfy on the hard tiles.


	4. Tooth's acquaintance with Death

**AN:** So the fourth chapter is now up, hope you like it. Sorry about the wait. Anyway we see why Tooth's so off-put by the Spirit of Death. Also some Pyper feels, a child's death, and a tiny bit of Tooth bashing I suppose you could call it that. Also sorry if any of the German is wrong, it's been a while since I did German in school, it should be good enought, but I thought it was more realistic if Jack didn't know German that well and the children was not that good at English. Feel free to tell me anything I need to correct.

* * *

A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Four:

Tooth's acquaintance with Death

Tooth noticed Jack's entrance to her Palace. She knew almost immediately why he was here. It was about the monster that took Jamie. She smiled wanly at the winter Spirit. Jack looked as happy as ever. Her fairies took a moment to swoon over the boy before continuing with their duties, all except the one who faints and Baby Tooth had to wake her up.

"Yes, Jack?" Tooth asked as she perched on the side of one of her platforms, Jack joining her not a moment later. "You look happy today." She observed, feeling her stress and grief over the container holding Jamie's teeth ebb away slowly.

"Jamie's alive." Jack grins. Tooth looked at him with confusion but he continued before she could speak. "He's in a coma. Jono found out from the other kids. He talked to Pyper about it and found out he only has it to keep it safe." Jack swings his legs over the ledge eagerly. Tooth stayed silent for a long time before she decided to speak.

"You believe that?" She asked, watching her fairies work from where they sat. Baby Tooth had joined them sitting on Jack's shoulder, she seemed content despite the fact she could tell Tooth was not. "You believe the words of a friend of his?" Tooth emphasised 'his' in the sentence obviously meaning the Piper and not wanting to say his name.

Jack frowned at Tooth, an obvious look of annoyance and disappointment. "You don't trust Jono? He's helped all of us countless times, you especially with your duties! He was chosen to help us, so MIM trusts him. Is that not enough for you?" Jack asked moving to crouch on the ledge, to leave if he felt he should.

"I just... He's friends with him... I just don't want you to get hurt if it turns out it's not true." Tooth sighed as Jack left as soon as the words left her lips. Of course that would anger Jack, Jack wanted Jamie to be ok. He wanted to believe Jono as a fellow Guardian, but it was near pointless to try to get Jack to see that Jono wasn't the most unbiased when it came to having a view of him.

Sandy watched as the Spirit on his dream sand cloud stirred and finally woke. It hadn't been a long sleep, but the Spirit never wanted a long one. The longer he slept the more likely he was to have a nightmare. Pyper sat slowly, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes. Pyper rose from the sand after a few seconds, once stood he caught a glimpse of the still sleeping Halloween Spirit, the sound of light snoring meeting his ears.

He looked to the Sandman who offered him a smile, the night was young still and Pyper knew he must now return to his job, taking the souls of children. A job he wished he didn't have. He nods and pulls the slowly changing hook over his head. The once brightly coloured cloth was now a murky black, like the depths of a river.

Silently, so as to not wake Jono he leaves, finding his rats carrying out their duties dutiful. The only white rat out of his pack climbed onto her masters shoulder, she chitters to him and nestles herself into his neck. He allows a small smile to grace his lips as he speaks to the rat. "My dear, Sonata, you are such a precious creature. You never judge, nor leave me. How do you put up with me my dear?" He brushed his hand through Sonata's fur.

She doesn't chitter back instead she watches the world from behind the protection of her masters hood, buried into the crook of his neck, sharing her warmth with him. Intelligence shines in her bright red eyes and her soft white fur glows with heal. She was the only one who didn't collect the souls that needed protecting and guidance to beyond. She was once amongst the other rats, but Sonata never was allowed to after a fight between her master and the Pooka.

Sonata had often wanted to find the Pooka and teach him a lesson for messing with her master. Yet she knew that was not the best course of action nor was it what her master wanted. Sonata so longed for the day when she could once again see Hamelin from her perch. How she longed to see her master happy and free of the ghosts that follow him.

She wondered if she ever would.

Jack decided that if Tooth reacted in such a way he should just find Sandy and leave Bunnymund for another time, but he knew Jono would already have found Sandy. So he heads back to North's workshop, knowing he was his best bet.

"Why Tooth hates him?" North asks from where he's etching a design into some ice. He takes a moment to blow the excess ice from the block. "She doesn't like what she's left with after." North states as if that answered Jack's question. Jack waits, he knows North will explain in time. "What happens to a child's teeth she collects?" North asks.

"When they die? I guess they stay in the container Tooth puts them in, why?" Jack tries to see what North's getting at, children grow up and die anyway, so why does this grate her so much? It's similar to the normal process really of a child no longer believing.

"Tooth has to discard the teeth and the container." North looks to Jack after he's finished the detail on the train he'd been making out of ice. Jack nods and was about to point out that she has to do that anyway. "Sometimes the containers are discarded with no teeth, no memories." He watches the teen who was trying to understand why this hurt Tooth so much.

Jack leaned on his staff, thinking. "It's not like he kills them, it's not personal." Jack mutters, wondering how the Spirits had ever managed to make allies. It seemed all those that weren't chosen to be Guardians might as well have been mud under their feet.

"I know that, you know that, she does not." North allowed his shoulders to slump, he felt tired and almost unwell, all the Guardians had been feeling off, or at least they all had complained about it at one time or another since Jamie's death. It was the stress. Or at least that's what North tried to tell himself. It had to be. "She often used to have children who never made it to their first tooth, now not as bad. She still remembers those ones who didn't. She is the Guardian of memory."

Jack nodded, exhaling loudly. He ached all over, traveling by wind took more of a toll on him since Jamie's death. He noticed how Tooth wasn't flittering about when he went to see her, and how Jono was always tired, falling asleep whenever he wasn't alert. Bunnymund must have been feeling it too. He just wasn't around to show it, possibly his traveling also took a toll on him, or maybe he couldn't travel. Sandy was having to focus a lot more on his dream sand so it didn't turn into nightmares.

"Does Bunnymund know if Pyper goes to Hamelin?" Jack asks out of the blue, North raising his eyebrows. "I mean cottontail can't always keep an eye on the town or Pyper can he? Cottontail's too busy with his weird eggs for Easter. It's just around the corner after all." Jack walks over to the window and contemplates going to Hamelin.

North shrugs, not aware of the answer. "Not sure. Why?" North looks to where Jack had been but the Teen was no longer there. Of course. North smirked, happy Jack was busying himself. He had noticed the winter spirit was more subdued than usual and it was concerning.

Hamelin was a lovely city, it was bright and colourful, an adventure. Something Jack could relate to. The children ran through the streets screaming with laughter about something Jack could not understand. After all they were speaking in German. Once thing Jack did catch was the word 'Rattenfänger' which Jack saw was mostly in reference to the Pied Piper, as the same word was written on a store window, accompanied by an outline of a man playing a flute being followed by children.

Jack watched as the children sang a poem, or at least it sounded like one.

"Hameln Town in Brunswick, Durch die berühmte Stadt Hannover; Die Weser, tief und breit, Wäscht seine Wand auf der Südseite; Ein angenehmer Ort, den du noch nie ausgespäht; Aber wenn beginnt mein Liedchen, Vor fast 500 Jahre, Um zu sehen, die Stadtbewohner leiden so Von Ungeziefer, war schade."

The children sound cheerful as they sing and dance around a small wooden statue carved by hand.

Jack approached and recognised it immediately, it was a carving of the Pied Piper. Jack watched with rapt attention. One of the children a young girl with bright ginger hair danced about on her own, with another child, a boy with black hair. The boy was not really dancing so much as shift about awkwardly.

The children were about the same age and both resembled the other slightly. Yet they still seemed to contradict the other, the girl had bright green eyes while the boy had soft blue, she had lots of energy whereas he had little. Once the children had finished their song with:

"Also, Willy, lass dich und mich Scheibenwischer sein Von Partituren mit allen Menschen, vor allem Pfeifer: Und, ob sie uns Rohr frei, von Ratten oder Mäusen aus, Wenn wir sie irgendetwas versprochen, wollen wir unser Versprechen halten."

The children dispersed all except the two.

The girl giggles as she spots Jack, calling over "Hallo!" to the Spirit. The boy nods to Jack, but then goes over to the wooden statue and rubs his hand over the rough surface. The girls rushes over to Jack, obviously excited to see him. "Werden Sie es Schnee zu machen?" She asks, wide eyed and practically bouncing. Jack wasn't fluent in the language, but after becoming a Spirit he had traveled and picked up one or two phrases from each country. That and North was now teaching him how to communicate with children from non english speaking countries.

Jack shakes his head and points to the statue. "Uh, mein Freund ist... Man how do I say this?" Jack mumbles the last part to himself. At this the boy seems to lighten up.

"Die Rattenfänger ist dein Freund?" The boy asks. Jack nods, smiling. "Die Rattenfänger verwendet werden, um hier zu leben. Warum hat er hinterlassen?" The boy asks, trying to help Jack understand, by use of hand gestures.

Jack bit his lip, how could he say this, without it sounding mean towards bunny? "Uh, the Easter Bunny." Jack said, using his fingers to make bunny ears and hope one of them got it. The girl exclaimed "Osterhase!" Jack nodded. "Had an... argument?" The children looked like they understood him.

"Warum?" The girl looked sad. Jack shrugged, no way in hell was he going to be able to explain it to them. The boy if anything understood him more than the girl, who wasn't as interested as the boy was anyway.

The boy spoke in slow broken English. "You... bring... Rattenfänger... here?" Jack thought about that. Could he convince either Pyper to come back and for Bunny to not interfere?

Jack shrugged. "I can try." The boy nodded that seemed enough for him. The father of the children called them home for dinner, the man was a strong man, in a leather coat and brown khaki pants. He had ginger hair like his daughter, but it was thinner and short, his eyes were a deep haze in colour, and he hauled up the wooden statue, bringing it with him.

Jack mulled over the fact that despite none of the children ever seeing him, they still believed in him. How was he going to get Pyper here anyway? More importantly how's he gonna get him here without Bunny knowing? How would Bunny know anyway? Jack groaned in frustration, kicking a stone as he scratched his head. "Why is Bunny such a stick in the mud?"

"He doesn't mean to be I'm sure." A voice answers, a boy's voice.

Jack ducked ready to attack, to see a boy who seemed to repel the darkening surroundings, almost like he shone. "Who are you?" Jack asks, causing the other boy to smirk. He had white hair and was dressed in armour of sorts, his pale green eyes were open and friendly.

"My name is Nightlight, pleased to meet you Jack Frost. MIM has been very pleased by how you're doing." Nightlight smiled and approached Jack, he looked about the surrounding area and sighed. "Pyper must miss this place. He doesn't even know that the children here want to see him." Nightlight said in a forlorn tone.

Jack lowered his guard, he had heard of Nightlight from Orland, he had come down to Earth with MIM, Orland and Pyper. He'd be bound to know what to do, but first some questions are in order. "What do you mean?"

Nightlight motioned to where the singing and dancing had taken place. "The singing and dancing the children did was to try and get Pyper to join them." Nightlight walked to stand where the wooden statue had been. "The Statue is prepared by the ancestor of the one child left after the incident in 1278, a deaf child was spared. So those children you just saw were relations of that deaf child, I believe that the town wanted to say sorry." Nightlight points in the direction of the house the children lived in. "You know, they should get to see him. I can deal with Bunnymund, I need to speak with him regardless. Anyway, I think even the adult of this town would probably see Pyper." Nightlight concluded and as he was about to leave Jack stopped him.

"Hey, wait! How am I supposed to get Pyper here?!" Jack exclaimed before he realized he still didn't know why tooth was so crossed-wired about him. "And why is Tooth so... angry, hurt? I don't really know what to call it, but she's so against Pyper and so far no one's told me why. You gotta know right? I mean you seem pretty up-to-date with all the goings on in the guardian's circles." Jack watched as Nightlight sat himself on top a street light.

"I suppose you should know, being a Guardian and all. Tooth and Pyper had a... fight is the only way to put it. Tooth and Pyper crossed swords, over their respective duties." Nightlight took a moment to put together what he was going to say as he motioned with his hand in a circular motion. "Tooth had been still collecting the teeth as well as her fairies, she found Pyper on her round and they fought over the importance of their jobs. Well, more precisely, Tooth accused Pyper of being of no importance and Pyper followed with much harsher remarks, telling her just what he thought of her."

Pyper was disturbed from his duties by Tooth. Her gasp alerting him to her presence. In the crib in front of him lay a baby of about eight months. Her tiny chest didn't move, as it should with the breath that showed life in any creature, she was dead. Pyper had done this one personally as he felt compelled to do so for someone so young and precious. He hated being interrupted, this lovely little girl, that could have had such a bright future, didn't deserve a shoddy send off.

"You have no business here." He states coldly, glaring over his shoulder. It was true, Tooth had absolutely no reason to be in this little girl's room. She's never reached her first tooth and there were no other children in the house that needed teeth to be collected. She was just here to see what he was doing.

Tooth gives the Piper a hardened look, angry at the Spirits coldness. "What did you do?" She hissed under her breath. "What did she ever do to you! You have no proper reason to be existing as a Spirit! You have no useful purpose."

The growl that left the Pied Piper's throat was animalistic and dark. "What did you say?!" The Spirit stalked up to the Guardian of Memories and glared down at her. His red eyes finding out the purple ones of Tooth, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I have no useful purpose?! Me?! How about you?"

Tooth felt small and oddly overshadowed by the Spirit before her. "I-I have a purpose." She tries, and fails spectacularly, to hold a note of confidence in her voice. She felt her feet touch the floor and her wings slowly stop fluttering. The red eyes were boring into her, searching her soul for a weakness and grabbing onto it.

"No you don't. Not a truly useful one. You are a small, insignificant pest. You are a mere shadow to your mother Rashmi, she was pure at heart, whilst yours is clouded by shadows." The Spirit hisses, not showing any regret for what he just said as Tooth had a look of pure hurt. "Rashmi and Haroom, you father, were so much more better than you'll ever be. After all you are the reason for their deaths."

"Stop it!" Tooth snapped, but it was more out of fear and grief, not anger even though it was lurking under the surface. Her parents deaths had always been a heavy burden, one she never wanted to be reminded of.

Of course the Pied Piper didn't stop.

"What's the matter little bird girl? Did I hit a nerve? How about what the adults thought about you when you developed your birdie abilities? They saw you as a freak, an evil presence, a thing to be used. Is that not what you truly are?" He murmured in a off-putting disarming tone. Almost sympathetic, but not quite, it was still accusing.

Tooth left in a gust of wind, leaving the Piper once again on his own in the dead girl's room. He remained there until morning when the girl's parents found her, sat in the corner of the room, with his knees brought up to his chest, he watched in silence as the parents went through the stages of hysteria and mourning.

He left after the girl's body was taken. Only to return a week later, with the girl's soul in his locket. Nightlight was there, waiting for him. The Piper reminded the couple of how happy they were when they had their child, the memories encouraged them to try again, for another child, to stay together.

Nightlight didn't comment about the tears rolling down his cheeks, nor about how he had cried often on the week since his fight with Toothiana, He just stood quietly and gave the very little comfort the other would accept.

Jack frowned sadly. "Looks like he doesn't have much luck with the Guardians." Nightlight nodded, then turned and left. MIM had asked Nightlight to talk to Bunnymund about his attitude toward Pyper.


	5. The Pooka and the Piper

**AN: **Another chapter done, mainly because it's half term and even thought I'm working there was little for me to do and I'm on my own, so you know I thought I'd treat you guys to two chapter in two days! More German but it should be ok, but still let me know if it's not. No real warnings, hope you like.

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A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Five:

The Pooka and the Piper

Nightlight sat on the mossy stone egg in Bunnymund's warren, the owner sat his ear twitching in irritation. Mainly because Nightlight was not there for a social call. Nightlight only ever came when MIM wanted to sort out a Spirits, or warn them of what they were doing wrong.

He wasn't going to like this visit one bit. "What ya want Glowbug?" Bunny snapped irritatedly, he didn't have time for a meeting about manners or such, he needed to finish the last batch of eggs for tomorrow. After all Easter wasn't going to bring itself out, was it?

Nightlight frowned at the Pooka, not happy with how Bunny was addressing him, after all he was representing MIM in this discussion. "E. Aster. Bunnymund, I hope you would not address Tsar Lunar in such a manner." Nightlight crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes. "Tsar Lunar sent me to talk to you about your attitude towards other Spirits."

Bunny growled. "More like one pain in the arse Spirit." He pointedly didn't look at Nightlight, knowing the young boy could still pull a very good 'I am disappointed in you' face, one that could easily cause discomfort for Bunnymund.

"That 'pain in the ares Spirit' Bunnymund, is a vital force in keeping the Guardians believed in!" Nightlight glared at the Pooka, always feeling like he had to force himself to refrain from hitting the Pooka. For being of a race so smart and gifted, he was such a stubborn and hard-headed person. "So he may not have been nice to you, but you were worst towards him."

"So this is about him." Bunnymund grumbles. His ears are flat to his skull and his muscles tense.

"Yes, it it." Nightlight moved from the Egg and stood in front of the Pooka, hoping to gain eye contact for at least a minute. However Bunnymund has other ideas as he turns to watch his eggs travel down from the river to the caves, waiting until they needed to go. "Tsar Lunar is ordering you to back off, E. Aster. Bunnymund. Leave the Pied Piper alone."

Bunny's ears shoot up and he whips his head round to stare at Nightlight. "What?! I've done nothing wrong!" He exclaims, his foot nervously thumps the ground.

Nightlight gives Bunny a hard stare. "Tsar Lunar is considering relieving you of your duties as a Guardian." He sighs and looks away from the Pooka. "If I was you I'd watch myself, you're on thin ice. As is Toothiana, but she has yet to attack the Pied Piper physically."

"He deserved it!" Bunny tried to reason, his mind racing, what if MIM decided to relieve him of his duties? What would happen to him?

Nightlight shook his head. "You're a Guardian, you should set an example to other Spirits. As well as the children you protect. That and you should know better anyway."

Bunnymund sat on the outskirts of Hamelin, it was a warm Spring evening and Easter was around the corner. He needed to start hiding the eggs soon, but first. He needed to make the children safe. It had only been four years since the incident with the Piper, and he knew the Spirit was still around.

Bunny travelled around the town, staying as out of sight as possible. In the end he found the Piper in the woods surrounding Hamelin. The Piper was sat on a fallen tree trunk, a rat sat on his shoulder.

The rat had snow white fur and red eyes that gleamed with health. She was the only white rat of Piper's pact of rats, and the smallest out of them, all the others being the size of medium sized dogs. She noticed Bunnymund as soon as he got closer to them. She turned to the Pooka and hissed at him. Alerting the Piper to his presence.

"What do you want?" The Spirit asked in annoyance.

"You out of here, that's what." Bunny sneered.

The Piper looked both amused and infuriated. "Oh, really? You want me to leave? May I point out I was here first. Therefore I see no reason to leave." He stared coldly at the Pooka. After all how much of a death wish did he have?

Bunnymund drew himself up, so he was taller than the Piper and so he could look down at him. He wasn't about to back down. Neither of them, were. "Yeah, mate. You need to leave."

The Piper eyes, gleamed in the darkness of the forest and approaching nightfall, searched the Easter Bunny's soul. Looking for a weakness to latch onto, even though he already knew it. "Well, that's funny Pooka. Tell me, you and what army? Didn't Pitch kill them all?" The Spirit of death had readied himself for an attack and ducked out of the way with ease.

"You asked for it!" Bunny yelled as he ran at the Spirit. Bunny dived at where the Piper was, but landed on the dirt, the Spirit no longer visible. "Come out you coward!" Bunny demanded, but he only received a yank on his ears, causing him to be dragged over the dirt floor. Bunny would never admit that he yelped.

"What's the matter, I didn't do that, it was Pitch who killed them, I had no part whatsoever. I collect the souls of children not animals." The Piper's voice taunts from somewhere above him. Bunny, managing to locate the Spirits face, threw a boomerang at the close distance the Spirit was at. It caught in the Spirits flesh and tore it, leaving a scar on the Piper's cheek. The shock caused the Piper to become visible to Bunnymund, who took the opportunity to attack him once more.

Piper was sent flying into a tree by the Pooka's powerful back legs, the force of the impact leaving an imprint of the Spirit. The Piper was still reeling, trying to get to his feet, not succeeding. Bunnymund stood, ears flat to his head. "What ya got ta say now?" Bunny growled.

Piper smiled to himself, pushing himself onto his knees, and addressing the Guardian of hope. "How ironic it is. That the Guardian of Hope is in such a hopeless situation. You are the last of your kind E. Aster. Bunnymund even if you don't wish to acknowledge it." The Piper watched as anger flared in the Pooka's eyes. "You know, it's now that I wish I was me that had killed them. After all then at least you'd have a reason to beat me up."

That was the last straw and the Piper prepared himself for an onslaughter he'd feel tomorrow. It never came. A horrid screech filled the air, and fear bubbled deep in the Piper's stomach. He opened his eyes to see Sonata, laid on the ground, some of her snow white fur dyed a bright red. Bunnymund simply stood and watched as Piper forced himself to rise and gather the wounded rat into his arms, glaring at the Pooka and leaving.

"And never come back or else." Bunnymund gloated in his victory, not even noticing how the Spirit seemed so crumpled and sad.

Piper never did go back to Hamelin, he relocated so he was nowhere near any town, for fear that one of the guardians would kick him out. That and he never let Sonata do her duties, too scared of what would happen if the Pooka and her were to cross paths once again.

Nightlight had been the Spirit Piper went to, Jono not existing and Sandy and he had yet to really become 'friends' if that was what they were now. Pyper wouldn't allow Nightlight to comfort him, or show any outward signs of worry. So Nightlight just allowed what ever the Spirit got from the visits to be given without Nightlight knowingly giving it.

Bunnymund grumbled something under his breath. Nightlight glared at him. "Fine." Bunny bit out. "What is it that'll get ya off my back, I have work to do."

"Let Pyper back into Hamelin." Nightlight watches as Bunny pulls a face, but quickly covers it with a look of apathy. He nodded, a tight movement of his head. Nightlight didn't like when he had to be like this, after all it wasn't the best job, telling others to watch their back as MIM was angry with their behaviour. "I'm sorry Bunnymund, but it's better I tell you to change then your not given the chance to."

Bunny once again nods. Nightlight knows that his job here is done and he should leave, he's threatened Bunny enough for now. If MIM still continues with what he wishes to come of Pyper's duties, then he might need to renew those threats. He'll have to see. For now he needs to find Toothiana and tell her the same. He doubts he'll get as strong as a response, after all she is more selfish in regards to her duties, she would happily change so she can keep them just so she wasn't like every other non-Guardian Spirits.

Once in Toothiana's palace, Nightlight notices Toothiana inactivity, she wasn't flittering about as usual. She was sat, resting. Nightlight frowned. MIM had been right that something was wrong with the Guardian's. Bunnymund had been moody and tired, Jack had looked oddly bogged down by exhaustion and almost something akin to sickness, not that Jack easily showed it, Jack was good at hiding things. Now Tooth was seemingly tired, her fairies were fine it seemed, so it was fine, for now anyway.

She looked grim as Nightlight approached. "Yes?" She sighed tiredly.

"I've come to warn you. Tsar Lunar is unhappy with your interactions and response to a certain Spirit. It has gained the gravity to warrant a relinquishment of duties. I don't believe I need to say anymore, correct?" Nightlight watched as the fairies carried out their duties, none batting an eyelid at the unexpected guest.

Toothiana nods, not saying a word. Nightlight rolls his eyes at her almost childish nature in regards to the situation with her parents, after all they died many years ago and she should know that they would never blame her, but she still was so sensitive about it. All the Guardians, scratch that all the Spirits in had lost who they once were, their loved ones. What made her thing she was so different? Every Spirit had it rough, and she didn't, she'd never been walked through or not believed in for long periods of time. She had it easy, much too easy.

All the Guardian's had really, Nightlight thought, they've forgotten what it means to have to gain the belief from children, it's a given to them that the children will believe in them. MIM was worried about that. MIM feared that the Guardian's will let their guard down and leave an opening that will caused their downfall.

Nightlight however decides he doesn't need to say anymore to Toothiana, she would be fine. He decided it was best to see North, if the mysterious illness was affecting them all he needed to make sure it wasn't too bad.

Jack landed, tripping over his own feet, he felt so tired, yet he had no reason too. His whole body throbbed with aches and pains. A hand steadied him. Jack had gone back to his pound, needing to think about what he was going to say to Piper, but now he just wanted to sleep. Wait, who was out by the pound at this time of night?

Jack looked up to meet red eyes. Jack almost jumped, but was too tired to do so. Seemed like pretending he was ok for the whole day was a bad idea. "What are you doing here?" Jack asks, trying to take more of his own weight so the other didn't have to.

"I was waiting." Is the simple reply, and Jack thinks he's doing it on purpose. "I guessed you were looking for me. Jono was, but he fell asleep. Seems like you could do with a rest." The male notes, easily picking Jack up in a fireman's hold. Jack protests weakly wiggling and telling Pyper to put him down. Pyper simply rolls his eyes. "You can barely stand, sandy willl knock you out for a bit, give you some of your strength back." Pyper points out, and Jack stops trying to break free.

Sandy happily knocks Jack out with his sleep sand. Jono still sleeping deeply. "Seems that you all are having trouble with tiredness." Pyper whispers softly. He sat beside Sandy. Sandy gave him a sad smile. Sandy could feel it too something was wrong. MIM knew it as well, he'd talked to Pyper about it.

What ever it was it was bad.

Nightlight smiles at North who returns the smile. North was tired and feeling old. "So Manny know's it too?" North sits down heavily in the chair, allowing his body to rest for a while.

"Yes, I fear he does St. North. Tsar Lunar doesn't know who or what is causing such a disturbance, but it cannot be good." Nightlight sits. "I suppose you don't think that Bunnymund or Toothiana will be willing to work alongside Pyper do you?" He asks.

North frowns and shakes his head. "Is Manny going to make him a Guardian?" North asks. Nightlight isn't sure if he should tell North what he knows or not.

"I don't believe it is wise to expect Tsar Lunar to so so yet, after all Jono was made a Guardian only two years ago." Nightlight thinks about MIM's actions lately. "Then again Jono was made far in advance for what he needs to do. That and he was mainly to help with the massive amount of work you have, it keeps his spooks preoccupied." He leans forward in the chair. "Not that Bunnymund or Toothiana took that well."

North nods and the two fall into silence.

It was about an hour later that Pyper returned, he had to attend to his duty, his rats could completely cover it if needed, but he never liked to leave it all to them. It seemed wrong. After all he had been given that duty not his rats. They were his family and friends more than his minions.

Jack was awake, but Jono was still peacefully snoozing. Pyper frowned, he should have woken up by now. It didn't matter, not at this very moment he only needed to deal with one of them not both. "What is it you want from me?" Pyper asked as he approached the slightly refreshed Jack. Jack grinned at him.

"I need to show you something!" Jack grinned. "You need to go to Hamelin, and don't worry about Cottontail, Nightlights dealt with him, told him to stop being such a stick-in-the-mud." Jack managed to grab Pyper to keep him in place. Jack was half dragging the male in the direction of Hamelin, if he could just get Pyper into the wind, he'd have no choice. "Come on!"

"Wh-? Wait!" Pyper tried to pry himself from Jack grip but it was impossible and both of them were soon traveling through the sky, the wind carrying them with ease. It was soon that they were over Hamelin itself and dropping into the forest that Pyper used to call home. it had been vastly cutback to make room for new houses, the woods were thick here though. It only cleared for where a single house stood.

In it lived the twins Jack had talked to before and their father. Their mother had died when they were young. Jack drags Pyper over to the house and picked up two stones, throwing them at the windows of the children's room, one at each window. The children's heads appeared at it not long after, obviously having trouble sleeping.

Once they spot the person with Jack they bolt from the window and soon taking the steps outside their house two at a time to get to them.

"Die Rattenfanger! Ist die Rattenfanger!" The boys grins as he manages to reach them first, latching himself to Pyper's leg. His sister soon attached to the Pyers arm.

"Wir wussten, dass Sie kommen würden." The girl smiles. "Vater dachte, Sie würden hier nie kommen." She buried her face into his sleeve. Pyper just froze. He didn't know what to do. He'd interacted with Sophie sure, but this was different, these were children who had never had any reason to see him, he had never been in Hamelin in their lifetime. His brain just short circuited and he could not think of what to do.

Jack watched, and he knew the feeling well, not sure of how to act because the child is actually touching you, not running through you. Jack looked to the door as he hear it open once more, in the doorway stood the children's father. He wasn't looking at his children though, no he was looking at the Piper. Jack was confused, he hadn't taken Nightlights words seriously, after all adults weren't supposed to see them, because they had grown up.

The tall man walks over to the Spirit, who looks almost scared by the attention he was receiving. "Es war vor 731 Jahren hier letzte. Ich wünschte, ich könnte im Namen von Hameln und meine Vorfahren sagen, sorry." The man's voice is thick and heavily accented, Jack had no chance of understanding the man, but he didn't need to.

"W-Warum? Ich tötete die Kinder." Is the hesitant reply of the Piper. He looks almost dazed, even more so when all the man does is pat him on the shoulder, turning to go back into his house, calling over his shoulder.

"Es gibt immer zwei Seiten zu jeder Geschichte. Angelika, Zak, müssen Sie schlafen gehen." At this Zak detaches himself from Pyper's leg and Angelika detaches herself from his arm. They follow their father to the house and turn waving Pyper and Jack goodbye.

Jack smiles at Pyper's confused expression. He grabs the others sleeve and tugged him down the streets, children they passed would gleefully call to them. Some only seeing the Piper while others saw both, none saw neither or just Jack. Then they reached the Weser river and Pyper sees the bridge. The golden rat that sat atop it was a proud reminder of the Piper's work. A proud stack to their heritage of the Piper's tale.

They weren't scared of him, or angry at him. They didn't despise him or wish for revenge. Most of all though they didn't forget him. They remembered him. They cared for what had happened.

They believed in him.


	6. Spring is fleeting

**AN:** My god three chapter in three days!? What on Earth is wrong with me!? Anyway if you're a little confused don't worry, the next chapter will fill in the gaps. I hope its ok. I was so bored at work, not that the shop isn't doing well, it's just there are long periods where they are no people in there. Anyway hope the chapter is up to your standards.

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A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Six:

Spring is fleeting

Orland frowns as he watched the snow fall, not the snow that Jack Frost creates, no it's different. Naturally snow almost, yet not. It was only three weeks past Easter and it was like it was a few weeks until Christmas. Something is wrong, all the Spirits have been sensing it for a while. Orland shivers and wraps his arms around himself, he has no power to combat this.

"The Guardian's power is failing." A voice startles him, a cloak being draped around him. He looks up startled. The taller Spirit is looking out over the once green fields, now covered in a thick layer of snow. "The Sandman is unable to create dreams, Jack O'Lantern is barely able to stay awake for any length of time, Jack Frost's body is starting to warm up, St. North is bed bound, the Tooth Fairy is unable to fly and the Pooka is a small furball."

Orland wraps the cloak around himself tighter. "What should we do brother?" He whispers, feeling more the part of a younger brother, not the older one he should technically be. He knew that the children were starting to not believe in the Spirits, whether Guardians or not.

Pyper stood, now free of his cloak it was visible that he had a simple black long-sleeved top on, and looked to the sky. "I fear there is nothing we can do. Tsar Lunar has even felt the presence disturbing his power. He himself is weak."

Orland felt so small. So weak. "What's causing this?" He wanted to sound angry or strong, but he only sounds broken and scared.

Pyper stays silent. He has seen this before. He has watched a world die in the same way, he was confined to it despite the fact it would never be saved. There were still children there so his duties needed to be carried out. It was them. It was HIM. "The Shadow's are coming."

Orland swiftly swallowed the lump in his throat. "W-what?!" He manages.

"Pitch." Is all Pyper said in answer. He crosses his arms and tries not to shiver, not because of the cold, it is the memories that fill him with dread and cause him such grief. He looks to the barely visible moon and tries not to once again curse the Luminoff family for giving him such a job.

Pyper knows he needs to do something that's important, what he did not know was what he needed to do. He was managing to keep the belief of the Guardian's alive in the children of Hamelin, but that would not always be enough. He would need to either find out what was needed soon, or he needed to find more children who could see him.

He was going to run out of time if he wasn't careful. He needed to work fast. If only Nightlight was not missing he could probably have done something by now.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Orland's voice is small and for a moment Pyper thinks he imagined it. He turns to him and wonders what he means. Orland is looking down at his freezing feet, his toes exposed to both the snow and the cold air from his wooden sandals, offering no relief. "I was a horrible big brother... I still am."

Pyper sighs. "Hardly your fault, I was a pushover, I still am." He looks out to the pound, Jack's pond, it's frozen solid, nearly all the way through, he's been busier than normal. The more vulnerable are dying quick.

Orland rubs the cloak's material between his fingers, it reminding him of their fathers coat. "Will he win?" He asks absently, not knowing if really it was the correct question. Wasn't it more 'Will the Shadows win?', after all they were the cause of this.

Pyper doesn't answer as he waits, as Orland's eyes fall shut, for the last of Spring to die with the latest snowfall.

The Guardian's had managed to gather, they needed to make a plan. Find out what's going on. They need to DO something. Even if they don't know what yet. However they expect that they may be too late. Mother Nature arrives to discuss what she knows with them and she has a grave face. Something bad has or is about to happen.

Pyper watches as he sits by his brother's head, Orland laying down on the snowy ground, wrapped in a cocoon of Pyper's cloak. He allows his mind to drift, to their past, when they were both young. Then when he had to grow up.

Their father was performing his usual tricks, the rabbit out of the hat one always went wrong, their father was great at that. He wasn't taken seriously, he was a joke magician. It was all a lark. Then their mother would dance, an exotic type of dance that wasn't well known by the towns they visited, so it was a treat for the townsfolk, and she would even teach the dance to a few young women.

Then it was Pyper who was in the spotlight. He would play his flute. It started as a gag almost, at the age of five he was pushed onto the stage by his father, the crowd eager to hear a five year olds attempt to play an instrument. However what they hear made everyone go silent, everyone listen. They were enchanted by the melody. No one able to break the hold it had, until people started to dance, murmured a song under their breath, or sway to the song.

He quickly became the most look forward to act. Much to the irk of his older brother Orland, who was unable to entertain anyone, instead picking flowers and turning them into perishable jewelry, which made no where near as much as his brother music. In retaliation to this Orland never did any of the chores when their parents weren't around, making Pyper do them instead. He would blame broken objects on Pyper, or if something went missing it was Pyper's fault.

The rivalry between the boys was very one-sided.

Pyper would go out of his way to be nice to his brother, doing anything his brother wanted, and allowing himself to receive the scolding his brother should get. He would even let his brother get the praise he didn't deserve. Pyper despite his brothers mean ways accepted and loved him. He accepted he'd most likely always be like that. It didn't bother him. Things like that never did. He just accepted it. His brother had just started warming to him when it happened. The fateful day that changed his life forever.

Before that though he had very fond memories of times spent with his family. Their mother's home-cooking filling their wooden caravan full of exotic aromas and sweet spices. Their Father teaching them how to fish and how to bird watch. The times they, he and Orland, would go to the near fields and pick flowers and chase butterflies. Catching fireflies in jars and decoration the caravan with them. Riding on 'Dust' the shire horse that pulled their home along the roads.

When they stopped in towns and it was a festival day. Him and Orland going to the markets and causing a food fights. Playing with many different children from different towns. Causing happiness to so many different people. Their parents telling them bedtime stories and singing him and Orland songs.

Then on there way to one town from the next their caravan was attack by the invading Shadows. Pyper and Orland had their mother dragging them away from their burning home, the screams of their father urging them on. Their father had been a small man, not so much in height but appearance. He wasn't overly strong. He had a mop of brown hair and a scruff of a beard. He wore thick glasses, and was never without his trusty coat, a checkered rag of clothing, old and musty in smell, but it was lovely and soft to the touch.

Their mother had ran with them, turning both of them around when they were away enough for her to tell them what they had to do. Their mother was beautiful, she had long golden hair that seemed to flow. Her eyes were a deep blue, brimming with tears as she told her sons to run and never look back. She wore a dress of blue cloth, it was tatty and old, but it was still lovely. She always had a smell of a far away country about her. Their parents had often had comments about how odd they were together, but they always just laughed.

She had pushed Orland and Pyper forward and ordered them to run, as she headed back to the Caravan, back to their father, she wasn't going to leave him alone. Orland and Pyper had ran as told. Orland grabbing Pyper's hand and making him run quicker. Once they were so far they heard it, their mother's screams. Painful, mourning sobs.

Orland let go of Pypers hand and stopped running. Pyper ran faster.

He ran faster than he ever had when he heard Orland screams. He was crying and so tired when he finally arrived in the next town. After that Pyper found himself all on his own, and he accepted it. His parents and brother were dead. They died and he didn't. He knew he needed to move on. If he took the time to dwell and mourn then he would surely be the next victim. He'd die to and he couldn't let his parents deaths be in vain.

He had made money by playing music with a flute he traded for the last bits of money he had. He managed to live like that for many years, constantly moving and avoiding the Shadow's path. He stayed clear of towns that were over run with Shadows, instead staying in the more protected ones as often as possible.

It was a long time until the Shadow's managed to catch up to him. Pyper foolishly left at night to travel to a nearby town, one he needed to get to. In the town was an old man who had made an object able to drive back the Shadow's, a musical instrument. Only a naturally skilled musician could use. Pyper of course had a reason to believe it might be him.

He never made it there. The Shadow's that found him were the same that attack their caravan and killed his family. Pyper managed to outrun them, but had to dive into a near by well to escape. However the Shadow's followed him and drowned him in the well.

He could still remember the voice that called to him.

_"Awaken, for there is much to be done."_

Pyper had opened his eyes to the view of the moon from the bottom of the now dried out well.

_"You are the Pied Piper and you are here to guide the souls of the children who die."_

With that Pyper had risen from where he laid and clambered out of the well, making his way to the nearest town to collect the souls of children. To guide and keep them safe. He did not ask question, he accepted his role and he allowed himself to watch as the life slowly failed to exist. It slowly withered and dies. The Shadows took over, yet Pyper remained, as there were still children. As long as there was children who needed their souls guided he would remain.

Finally when the last living person's life slipped between their fingers the Pyper was allowed to leave. He was taken to where his brother and other Spirits, Immortals and such had gathered.

Tsar Lunar XI and Tsarina Lunar had chosen him and Orland to join them on their travel to Earth. Pyper still remember the reunion with his brother, a bittersweet affair.

Orland had looked at him in disbelief. "Pyper?" He had asked.

Pyper had been silent, simply nodding to Orland, and watched his brother with a undisguisable look. Orland had not said anymore, neither of them had. Neither knew what to say, if there was anything they could say.

Then there was his first meeting with Nightlight.

The boy was much the same, in armour and white hair. He still repelled the darkness. He had given the Pyper a kind smile and had offered a hand. "Nightlight, the protector of Tsar Lunar. You are the Pied Piper, correct?" Nightlight made it impossible for Pyper not to reply.

Slowly Pyper replied. "You are correct." He doesn't give Nightlight a handshake, just watching as the boy casually drops his hand to his side. Pyper expected that to be it. However Nightlight had other ideas.

"You and your brother Orland are very different. I think you may have gotten on one time, or at least you were starting to." Nightlight states. "I think you still could if you both try. You two just never seem to talk." With that Nightlight left Pyper standing on his own.

Pyper hadn't talked to Nightlight before, but he had seen him from time to time. The protector of Tsar Lunar was a silent individual in the background, he watched how Pyper and Orland acted. He was loud at times, of course him being a bit of a trickster from time to time. He just hadn't talked to Pyper until then. Others had, they had caused Pyper no end of grief. Telling him how he should and should not act around Tsar Luna XI and Tsarina Luna.

Tsar Lunar XI and Tsarina Lunar themselves did not care for how Pyper acted, giving the Spirit his needed space. Yet they were still so friendly towards him. They regarded him with warmth, often offering a room in their home, but he always turned it down. Pyper almost always slept rough, he was used to it. He found it hard to relax if he didn't. Too scared to settle incase something was to happen.

And once again something did. Tsar Lunar XI and Tsarina Lunar took Pyper and Orland to the ship that would take them to Earth. Nightlight waiting for them and offering both brothers a smile. Tsar Luna himself was in his crib on board the ship sound asleep. Moonmice were one of the most prominent passenger aboard the ship.

They had taken off, leaving the soon to be destroyed lands behind them. It was a last ditch attempt to escape Pitch. Pitch was once head of a respectable house. He had a wife and a daughter. Alas as with everything the darkness touches it changed. Pitch had been the Lord Higher General of the Galaxies but was then touched by the Shadows, who tricked him into freeing it. His wife Lady Pitchiner was killed escaping from Dream Pirates, taking a doll with her to made them think it was her daughter. Pitch's daughter, Emily Jane Pitchiner, became Mother Nature.

The fall of a once great and grand family complete in a single blow.

The releasing of the Shadows.

Pyper remembered the smell of metal and the yells of Moonmice and Tsar Lunar XI.

_"Keep our child safe, Nightlight! Guide him and take Piper and Spring with you! They will help him understand what is needed in a Spirit! Piper is important, he knows the Shadows and he can help you!"_

He vaguely remembers Nightlight and Orland dragging him to the capsule that Tsar Lunar was in. Then they were hurtling towards the Moon.

Pyper was told he had been hit by a piece of the ship that had been knocked loose by a Shadow, causing his dazed and confused state. Then the three had gone down to Earth leaving Tsar Lunar to grow and find his own way of choosing Spirits.

Pyper blinked, snow having settled all over his shoulders and all over Orland. He notices it had stopped snowing a while ago. Then he hears footfall dulled by the crunch of snow. He turn to see her. Emily Pitchiner stood, watching him and Orland. He nods to her and stands.

"My father started something he never wished to. Yet I fear there is no turning back. Not now." She has a harden expression. She upset and angry, and it's so obvious she doesn't know what to do. If she should or shouldn't hate her father.

"It is not your father's fault, neither is it yours." Pyper says, his voice little more than a rasp, the tears that had been falling for so long, unnoticed, had caused that. It was so cold, yet he barely felt it. It barely felt anything.

Mother Nature gave him a sympathetic look. "You are seen this for a second time, correct?" Pyper does not speak, just nods, he rests a hand on his brother's shoulder in both a protective and possessive. Emily continues despite Pyper's lack of response. "It shall not end the same this time. Even if I have to short my own father out... Even if I must ride the galaxies of him, I shall. He will not get away with this!"

Pyper feels her hand rest on his head. He took a deep breath.

Mother Nature stood, her face grave and hardened. She was upset and angry, something had happened. Something very bad had happened. "We must talk, now Guardians. For this situation has reached a point I can no longer ignore." She spoke softly, yet in a strong firm tone. She moved out of the doorway and revealed the Pyper, carrying the dead weight of the Spring Spirit.

Orland face was peaceful, he was wrapped tightly in the Pyper's cloak and from a distance it would appear he was sleeping. Yet his skin was freezing, his chest unmoving and his body completely limp.

Orland the Spirit of Spring, the bring of new life, was dead.


	7. Finding one's center

**AN:** So the seventh chapter, I've been more in the mood for writing this than my other ongoing stories, so I'm sorry if you want more of them, hopefully you wont mind too much. This just seems easier to write at the moment.

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A Child's Soul Is A Precious Thing Chapter Seven:

Finding one's center

Pyper stood, the look on his face was blank. A mask to hide what was beneath, what lurked under the surface of his calm and uncaring façade, the dangerously thin thread he was held together with. The body in his arms was freezing, yet he felt none of it, himself being long since frozen, warmth was something he'd long-lived without.

Mother Nature and he, himself were unaffected by the development within the Spirit community. An illness that was causing even the most powerful to fall. Pyper and Emily found themselves having to try to decide what was best. Emily until now had been a neutral observer, as she still had the feelings a daughter would have towards their father, despite what Pitch had done. Now however he had, unknowingly Pyper assumes, taken the life of one of her 'children'.

All season bringing Spirits, not Spirits that were to do with an event in that season, but that bring the season. Spring, Summer, Autumn & Fall and Winter. Spring, was Orland. Summer is a 10-year-old girl, who is a lover of the warmth and a little overbearing. Autumn & Fall are twins, Autumn a jolly boy and Fall a shy boy. Winter was an older girl, but she was still younger than Emily. All of them were younger than Emily and she saw them as her children, she being in her mid to late twenties had developed a deep maternal side. She saw weather elemental Spirits, like Jack Frost, to be a nephew or niece, not her children but still related to her.

Pyper doubted, even if he was Orland's brother, Mother Nature saw anything in him. She never seemed too attached to him. He looked at the Guardian's, seeing the pitiful things they had become. How tired they were, how lost. He placed his brother's body on the worktop a Yeti had cleared. Once done he turned and went to leave, he needed to either find Nightlight or Contact Tsar Lunar. Things were falling apart too fast.

"Wait." A hand grabs his shoulder and Mother Nature grimaces at how cold the flesh feels beneath her fingertips, even through the fabric. Pyper tilts his head slightly so he can just see her face. "We need to work together, that means that we don't go anywhere alone. We cannot risk leaving ourselves open to attacks." She said, pulling him softly back, her eye soft and her face concerned. "You are freezing."

Pyper raised his eyebrow at her in a questioning way. "I'm death, what do you expect?" He almost relents and let's her, but instead he shakes his head. "I need to find Nightlight or talk with Tsar Lunar, I can look after myself. I have since long before Tsar Lunar himself was born."

Emily frowns at him, but she knows she cannot keep him here if he doesn't want to be here. She let's go of him finally, but before she lets him go she puts him closer into a hug, many of the now redundant Spring fae surround the two and out of Mother Natures long black hair they quickly weaves a new cloak for the Piper. It takes very little of Emily's hair, but it was better than Pyper's old cloak. It was of different lengths at the bottom due to her hair's nature length. It was extremely soft, like silk. The warmth it created was almost overwhelming, it had the sense of safety and warmth of home.

Of that wooden old caravan, wrapped in his mother's old silken dress and one of his father's old woolen jumpers, the small log burner producing little heat, but it was enough for the small one three roomed caravan. Pyper found himself frozen by the sheer nostalgia of the new clothing wrapped around him.

He shook himself out of it, a look of pure surprise and confusion on his face as he looked to Emily, she just smiled. "You must go." She agreed. "I will discuss what we know with the Guardian's, you have a more important role, and you must find it now. Go." With that Pyper found himself hurrying down the halls and finally making it into the bitter air of the pole.

"Wind!" He yelled, it rushed around him, pleased to see someone it considered Jack's friend. "Take me to Hamelin! Whatever I need to do must be there! Tsar Lunar would not have bothered to have Nightlight talk to the Poolka to allow me back to Hamelin if it was of no importance." He found himself explaining to the elemental Spirit, it had no body and was many many different people one would assume. Yet it seemed to be one person who was in many places at once.

Within a few seconds the wind had lifted him off the ground and he was heading towards his destination at a startling pace. He clung to the edge of the cloak. He hoped that Angelika and Zak were both ok, and that Sophie was being took care of well. He had left Sonata and one of the other rats to look out for her.

When he finally saw the outline of Hamelin he frowned. Could he really do anything to save this? He had so little control of the children and their beliefs unlike the Guardian's. He landed on top the Weser bridge next to the golden rat. He looked to the moon and found himself yelling at it.

"What is it I must do?!" He takes a deeper breath and screams. "WHAT IS IT YOU WANT FROM ME?!" Pyper felt light headed from the amount of force he put into his screams. His mind was going a mile a minute. What was it MIM wanted? Why hadn't he told him before?

He found himself simply screaming out of his own anger and fear, his regret and sorrow. He finally stopped once his knees gave out and his nose was running, tears falling freely. There on his knees panting for breath and sobbing so hard he started to hiccup, there was a noise. Wiping the tears, snot and sweat from his face he turned to see him. Pitch stood, grinning like the cat that had got the cream.

"What's wrong? Is he not talking anymore? Aw, isn't that a shame." Pitch snarls around a grin full of sharp teeth. Pyper doesn't give him what he wants, he turns from Pitch and looks to the moon once more. He tried to swallow the thickened saliva that had coated his throat after he had screamed it dry.

"You're smart." Pyper states, knowing Pitch won't be able to resist this. "But not smart enough. I know what you're doing and I know how to stop you."

"Ha! It sounds like it." Pitch states sarcastically. Pyper counts down in his head until Pitch let's the ball drop. "Besides how could someone like you know I'm poisoning the others with the Shadows that are already here?" Pitch doesn't even realise what he's done until it's too late.

"Because you just told me." Pyper smirks. Pitch looks furious, until he simple growls and grins once more. Pyper closes his eyes, trying to focus on making contact with MIM.

"You still don't know how to stop it. You're scared that you won't be able to." Pitch is trying to turn this around make Pyper scared of him. While the two had had little previous contact the Spirit had once badly beaten the Nightmare King into retreat. That had made Pitch both vary and almost respectful of Death. Sandman and the Pied Piper had once also sent Pitch packing, another thing that caused Pitch to stay clear of him.

"What must I do?..." He murmurs beneath his breath and opens his eyes once more to see Pitch had taken the liberty to stand obscuring his view of the moon. Pitch was trying to aggravate Pyper to attack him. It wasn't going to happen. Pyper stood, and left, Pitch calling after him.

"Where do you think you can go? He still won't be answering you! Don't you get it?! I'm going to win! I will win!" Pitch was still rambling on when Pyper could no longer hear him. He headed to Zak and Angelika's house. He needed to take them somewhere, so he could get them to believe in the Guardian's with more strength and real understanding. He needed to also get Sophie. That's when he stopped in his tracks. Jamie! He needed to get Jamie! He was still on life support, but he must be healed enough for his soul by now!

He had forgotten with all that was going on. If any one of the children could see the Guardian's it was Jamie! Changing his course completely, he needed to get Jack, Jack would be a key component in Jamie's help. Afterall Jamie could see Jack, he probably would not be able to see Pyper.

Once more he called the wind.

Mother Nature walked over to the unmoving Spring Spirit, softly running her hand through his frozen stiff hair. She looked to the Guardian's, all trying to defy their bodies demands to rest. "The Shadow's are coming here. My father has such a strong presence here it is scary. Scary by how much you have all fallen." She hugs herself, trying not to think of what Pyper must be going through once more. "You really all are so pitiful." She hates how much she sounds like her father.

None of them argue with her and she doesn't know if she's more or less grateful for that. She continues. "Of you who I believe to be truly pitiful are you two. E. Aster. Bunnymund and Toothiana. I do not care if I sound like my father, but you two I believe do not deserve to be Guardians." She doesn't sit because there is nowhere to do so and she feels restless. She needs to get this off her chest, let them know what she thinks of them.

Let them know what Orland thought and what Pyper thinks, she had always kept a close eye on him for Orland. Orland being concerned for his brother. "Orland was very much a believer that you as Guardian's were doing your job correctly, taking care of the children, but most of you failed in protecting other spirits. I believe there are two cases of that... At least two."

The small Pooka fidgets and scratches behind his ear in discomfort. Toothiana was staring at the fireplace, which wasn't lit due to the extreme pain any kind of heat was causing Jack's body. North looks disappointed in himself and angry at himself. Sandy was sat at a window watching out for Pyper. Jack looks like a scolded child sat his body hunched up to itself. Jono is stood, leaning to one side, barely staying awake. Jono almost seemed the worst of all the Guardians.

"Of you there were those who seemed to be worst than others." She pointedly looks at Toothiana and Bunnymund. "Then those who were better." She looks to Sandy and Jono. "Then those who tried to be, but either too late or were unaware of the situation." Her eyes settled on Jack then North.

"He... was just-just... Uh, what's the-the word... Sophie used?" Jono forced out, his thought pattern slow and disjointed. Sleep threatening to take him while he stood. Sandy gave him a concerned look.

"Misunderstood?" Jack offered, Jono vaguely pointed at Jack to indicate that was what he meant to say. Jack sighed as he nodded. "Sophie understands him almost better than any of us because Pyper trusts her." Jack rested his head on his knees.

Emily represses a sigh of her own. She needs to discuss what to do, but what could they do? Even Pyper had no idea, and he was a lot wiser than he seemed. It was often hidden behind his need to annoy those who posed either a threat or an annoyance themselves. Both Toothiana and Bunnymund came under the later. Neither posed a threat to him. Pyper was made of stronger stuff. Mainly as he had to adapt to many different things.

"Even Orland knew little about Pyper. He did not even remember Pyper's true name." She looks to Sandy. "There are only two people, I believe, that know his true name. That is you Sandman and Sophie." Sandy confirms that he knows this by nodding. "He chose two people he knew would not tell anyone else. Sophie because of her ability to keep secrets, as she has yet learnt to explain what she means well and Sandman because you do not talk."

"Indirectly I know the name, for I can be wherever I please at anytime. Rhamiel is a lovely name. It has a meaning here. It's Hebrew and it means Angel of empathy and understanding humans. Therefore by a stretch of the imagination, acceptance of humans." North looks up, a gleam in his eyes at this. Something Emily said caused a recognition in North. "Thought I believe while the meaning fits him better, Pyper seems to suit him more."

"Never mind this little `I'm holier than thou speech` what are we gonna do bout your daddy and the Shadows!?" Bunnymund spat. He was irritable for more than one reason.

Emily glare silenced him. "You Pooka are a step away from becoming an extinct species and not just a clinging onto existence one." Emily snapped back, she needed to get through to him that it wasn't always about him. "You need to learn to stop hopping to conclusions and start to look at the things around you."

Bunny at least looked guilty. Toothiana seemed to be in a daydream. This angered Emily for a reason she herself could not tell. "Toothiana!" She finds herself yelling in the Spirits ear. Tooth jumped, looking almost scared. "You could at least pay attention to me." She growled. "I have lost one of my own, so have you, the least you could do is pretend you give a damn."

Tooth looked so startled. "B-but I do!" She tried to protest, but had a hand grip her chin.

"Don't lie to me!" Emily hisses. For a minute the Guardian's are preparing themselves for a fight. Yet Emily calmly let's go of Tooth's chin and allows herself to walk away from the Guardian of Memories. She was so angry with her, just as much as she was angry with Bunnymund and herself. She should have been able to protect one of her own.

"Pyper has seen this before the Shadow's destroying his home, he has also lived thought his brother's death twice now. He has yet to break, he still follows what he believes Tsar Lunar would want. He has always accepted and followed the orders given to him." Emily finds the next line leaving her mouth before he can stop it. "He has gotten over the death of his parents and brother when Pyper himself was eleven and then around ten years later he was drowned in a well. Then he was forced to stay and watch the deaths of so many people, not being allowed to leave until the last person stopped breathing." She had a hard stare locked on Bunny and Tooth.

Both Bunny and Tooth looked shocked and slightly guilty for their behaviour towards Pyper.

All of a sudden the door to the office bursts open and an exhausted Pyper staggers in, his legs giving out beneath him. His breath comes out in short sharp gasps. He pushes himself back up and dashes towards Jack, managing to gasp out a quick and quiet. "We gotta get Jamie!"

"What happened? Calm down!" Jack yelps as he's hauled off the floor and onto his feet. He is shaken roughly by Pyper.

"Jamie!" Pyper half yelled. "I need to give Jamie back his soul! He-he..." Pyper has to stop here to breath, having next to no air left in his lungs to shout. "He... He's a strong believer, he'll know how to help you guys." Pyper let go of Jack bending down so he could rest his hands in his bent knees and he simple breaths, his body protesting the lack of air he had taken in in the last half hour.

Jack almost jumped for joy. "We're going to get Jamie?!" He threw his arms in the air despite his body's protests when Pyper nodded.

"J-just give me a m-minuet." Pyper pleads as he manages to get his breathing to a near normal level. "Ok, I need you Jack, to come with me. Though I doubt you'd let me go without you." Pyper addressed the others without looking at them. "Pitch is cocky, I'll give him that you guys need to be careful. I know he's using some of the Shadows already here to poison the majority of the Spirits, he fell for the 'I know what you're doing, but I don't and you know it' trick. Anyway, Tsar Lunar is contactable and I did not bother to find Nightlight yet. I have a feeling that the belief in the Guardian's is an important factor here."

"Thank you Pyper." North smiles at Pyper from where he sat. Pyper nodded to him on his way past, Sandman having waved goodbye to him.

Emily watched him go with a smile on her pale face. Once there were out of the door she allowed the smile to drop. North addresses her. "Yes?" She ask softly. looking to the Guardian of wonder.

"Pass me doll." North said as he points to the russian doll of the Pyper. Emily allowed herself to open the doll and look at the two complete and one incomplete layer and looked to North. North gives her a tired smile. "It is time to give him his centre, don't you think?" Emily hands it to North and a Yeti wheels over a table, with all different coloured paints.

"Wait! Give him a centre?" Bunny exclaimed, looking worried. "MIM's not-"

"He may." North interrupted Bunny. "There is little for us to do in this condition. So we wait for Pyper and Jack to return." North holds the third layer in his hands and coated his brush in silver before continuing with his word.

"B-but Mother Nature could!" Toothiana pointed out, most likely because she felt nervous around her.

"What do you think I can do?" She saks and when met by silence she accepted that as good as an answer of 'I don't know' and stayed. She watched North work, he carefully applied the paint to the wood, being ever mindful of the design and where other colours needed to be.


End file.
